


How to Save a Life

by clindzy



Series: Kapouli'la: Your Love Makes Me Whole [1]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Episode Tag, Episode: s03e14 Hana I WaʻIa (Scandal), Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-10-18 14:26:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10618803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clindzy/pseuds/clindzy
Summary: Steve knows that if Danny loses Grace, he will lose both of them and he can't live with that possibility. Between a messy case and a custody hearing, Steve is forced to face his emotions about Danny, about Grace and his nemesis Wo Fat. At the end of the day, he realizes what is important. Without Danny, his life would be nothing like it is now: full of life, laughter and love.





	

**Author's Note:**

> What began as a simple one shot evolved into a whole verse that focuses on McDanno from the beginning until now. I will add as my muse and my life allows. This verse, I hope, will entertain and spark conversation about our two favorite crime fighting idiots.

Danny fidgets nervously on the bench outside of the courtroom, awaiting to have his moment in front of the judge. When Steve enters his view, in his dress blues, he breathes a sigh of relief.

"Hey," Steve greets his best friend. 

"Wow. You uh, you look, uh very nice, suit and tie; that's good," Danny trips over his words, blown away at how fantastic Steve looks in those dress blues.

Steve smirks a little. "It's for you. Wore it for you."

"Thank you." Danny pauses to look at Steve, needing to touch him and trying to find an excuse so he can get his hands on his best friend, feel his solid chest and know that he's not going anywhere. 

"Hey, hey what are you doing?" Steve asks him, a little shocked by Danny's overt gesture.

"Is that a clip-on?" Danny points to Steve's tie.

"It's not a clip-on. Are you...What'd I just say to you?" Steve acts the perfect mix of exasperated and fondly annoyed at Danny's insistence on touching him.

"Your tie's all jacked up - can I fix it please?" Danny poses his request as a reasonable one, hoping that his real request isn't nearly as transparent. 

Something tells Steve that Danny needs this, so he leans in and allows the contact.

"Come here. Come here. Come here." Danny tugs on Steve's tie, pulling him closer into his space. He reluctantly lets go when he's straightened the offensive piece of fabric and before too much time elapses and Steve thinks he's absolutely nuts.

"There." Danny leans his elbows on his knees.

"Thank you." Steve unconsciously leans in closer to Danny.

"Thought nobody wore a tie in Hawaii," Danny says, bringing up one of the first conversations they had about Danny's appearance. 

"No, they don't, but you know it's a special day, so I thought I'd wear one." Danny keeps his eyes focused on the long black fabric dipping down into Steve's uniform jacket, unable to meet Steve's gaze. Steve has to focus on breathing in and out, unsure if his desperation to be there for Danny as more than a friend is shining through.

"Plus, I'm wearing my dress blues," he reasons. "They'd make me walk the plank if I don't wear a tie with my dress blues." He studiously keeps his eyes off Danny.

Danny zeroes in on the safe topic, clutching to it like a lifeline. "How come the blues are black?"

"I know they're black; I don't know." 

Danny takes a deep breath and sighs. "Thank you for being here - it means a lot." He wishes that he could say more, do more, but this isn't the time or the place; he's sure that Steve is only here because he feels obligated as a friend.

"You're welcome. You'd do the same for me," Steve replies. Danny wonders in what universe Steve McGarrett would end up on the losing side of a divorce and have to move cross country just to spend a few hours a week with his child.

Danny just nods, glancing down the hall, trying to see if it's his turn in the courtroom yet. The air between he and Steve has that same awkward staticky, heavy feel that has been making itself known more and more frequently. 

"All right, you ready?" Steve asks.

Danny finally lets his eyes travel upward, trailing over his best friend's strong jawline, obnoxious military haircut and that mouth that never quits spewing half-cocked irrational ideas or affection couched in somewhat offensive banter.

"Yeah, I'm good. I got, uh, the speech all prepared, everything's good." Danny feels his nerves bubble in his stomach, wishing he could be anywhere but here right now.

"Good." 

"Tell you something, if they try to take her away from me, I'm jumping off a cliff today," Danny declares.

"Hey, hey, hey." Steve attempts to halt this bad idea in its tracks, even though he feels much like Danny does. If Danny loses Grace, then Steve loses the best parts of his life and he will do anything it takes to prevent this tragedy from happening.

"That's not gonna happen. Okay?"

"Okay." Danny looks at the floor, ashamed that he would make such a careless statement in front of the man that trusts him to watch his back every day.

"That's not gonna happen." Steve places his hand on Danny's shoulder. "That's not gonna happen, all right?" he repeats the statement, needing Danny to believe that he will do everything humanly possible to keep Grace with him.

Steve lets out a heavy sigh as he takes in Danny's hunched over posture, fidgeting and refusal to meet his eyes. If only he could say what he really felt: that since he met Danny, Grace feels like his own, loving him without question and he would do anything to protect her.

As Danny stands in front of the judge ready to make his plea, he sends up a prayer of pleading and of gratitude, thanking God for putting Steve in his life and offering his support, obligatory or voluntary. Danny doesn't care at this point; it's Steve presence alone that is keeping him in front of Judge Hidoko, ready to plead his case to be able to keep the one good thing in his life.

Steve watches with pride as Danny approaches the bench, a small smile quirking his lips and tears blurring his vision. Steve looks on concerned when Danny begins to founder under the pressure, but finds his footing, albeit awkwardly. He sighs involuntarily when Danny puts his foot in his mouth, insulting Hawaii.

Danny tells the judge that Grace is his everything, his life and his breath and separating them would not be in the interest of Grace or their family.

"Weren't you recently shot in the presence of your daughter?" Judge Hidoko inquires.

Danny swallows noisily, saved by the vibration of Steve's phone.

"I can explain that, Your Honor." Steve stands, invoking his SEAL persona, allowing his authority to seep into the air around him, hoping that Danny finds some comfort in it.

"Commander McGarrett, this is not your forum," Judge Hidoko warns.

"Yes, I know that, Your Honor, and I'm sorry, but, Detective Williams doesn't just work for me - he's my friend, he's my close friend and, uh," Steve pauses to look at his phone before taking a shaky, nervous breath, "I've seen him with his daughter. He's a great father. He's actually the kind of father we all wish we had. I'm so sorry. I have to take this call,' he finishes apologetically.

Danny feels like a weak breeze would knock him over; if he had to guess, and he knows his friend pretty well so it's not much of a guess, Steve is crazy about Grace and this is his way of showing Danny that. 

Steve wishes he had more time to properly address the court but crime doesn't wait. He can only hope that Danny got the underlying meaning in his words. 

* * *

 To keep Danny's mind off of the custody hearing, Steve intentionally engages him in an argument about the governor wanting their help on a case. He is relieved when Danny fires an insult off at him without a second thought. He's actually pleased that Danny calls him a wind up soldier; if Danny only knew what was really going through his mind, his partner would probably blush and pass out from the shock.

Danny knows that Steve is intentionally antagonizing him and loves him for it. It's their way of showing their affection for each other. He can only imagine how this uncertainty surrounding custody of Grace and ultimately his place in Hawaii is affecting his partner.

The outcome of the custody hearing is weighing heavily on Steve's mind, causing him to attack the governor; this is why Danny doesn't allow him to go anywhere by himself, he thinks ruefully. As good as he is at shoving his emotions to the side, when it comes to Grace and Danny, Steve finds that he just can't. These overwhelming emotions are stubborn, unbending and unwilling to leave his mind.

Incidentally, Danny and Steve are more heavy handed in handling their case, almost creating an environment of hostility around them.

When they discover that Wo Fat is involved in the prostitute's murder, Danny's stomach flops and he feels sweat beading down his back. This is the absolute last thing they need right now. He and Steve are both overly emotional, tighter than a trip wire and ready to shoot first and ask questions later. Steve forces his mask to remain on his face even when all he feels like doing is swearing, loading his favorite gun and hunting down the bastard that is responsible for his father's death.

Realizing a face off with Wo Fat is imminent, Steve steels himself to finally get justice for the murder of his father. Danny finds himself praying that this encounter ends better than the last several have, but he knows that's only a fool's hope given Steve and Wo Fat's proclivity for gunfights and hand to hand combat. 

Danny finds himself hanging out a helicopter for the umpteenth time since he's known Steve, aiming his gun at Wo Fat, but more concerned with rescuing the Congressman. 

Steve is torn between rescuing a civilian and getting a chance to put a bullet in Wo Fat. In the end, it's Danny that convinces him of what he needs to do.

And not for the first time since meeting the mouthy detective from Jersey, Steve finds himself grateful and struck with even more overwhelming feelings than he's ever felt before. 

* * *

 

The end of the day finds them both on the beach in back of Steve's house with Steve thinking so loud that it hurts Danny's head. 

"Would you please stop? Please? We didn't have a choice. We had to let Wo Fat go. And we are going to find him. I promise. Okay?" Danny looks at his best friend, willing him to believe his words and see what's underneath of them.

Steve purses his lips, still kicking himself for allowing an evil man like Wo Fat to remain free in the world. 

Danny doesn't get a chance to plead further or attempt at reasoning with his stubborn partner before Governor Denning approaches them.

"You mind if I join you guys?" Governor Denning asks.

Danny wants to say no, demand that he go away but this man signs Five-0's paychecks. It would be foolish to piss him off twice in as many days. 

"Hey. Of course, Governor." Steve and Danny both stand up out of respect.

Governor Denning dismisses the formality. "Sit, sit. We're not on the clock."

"Oh, no, uh, I got to take this. Sit down, please." Danny claps the governor on the shoulder, hands shaking and trembling as he tries to answer his phone. 

"Hey." Steve tries to assess who was on the phone and what they had to say by reading Danny's body language.

"Hey." Danny offers a shaky smile.

"Uh."

"You all good?" Steve looks at Danny, seeing the rush of emotions flooding through him and wishing that the governor wasn't right there so he could hug his best friend without having to keep up appearances. 

"She's not moving," Danny fumbles for words, cursing the lump in his throat.

"Grace?" Steve allows a hopeful half smile to cross his lips.

"The judge ruled in my favor - shared custody," Danny says shakily, tears threatening to spill down his cheeks. "She cannot leave the island, she cannot leave the island," he repeats himself as if he can't believe it, even though he's been reassured by the judge that he is not in danger of losing his precious little girl. 

"She cannot leave the island. Huh?" Danny finally allows a smile across his face.

Overjoyed, Steve stands up, forgetting the pretense of appearances and moves closer to Danny. He envelops him into a hug, hugging him so close that he's almost positive he heard someone's bone crack, but he doesn't care. Grace isn't going anywhere and neither is Danny. His reasons for living are not leaving him any time soon; that thought he will keep to himself. He doesn't want to scare Danny away, not now, not after everything they've been through together. 

Danny hugs him back and refuses to let go.

"Congratulations." Steve's voice is muffled into Danny's neck, but Danny hears it all the same. All the love he has for Grace, all the worrying he does over her, everything he is willing to do to keep Grace safe tells Danny just what Gracie means to him. 

Danny then lets out a full on smirk as he recounts what the judge said to him. "The judge said your courtroom behavior was completely unacceptable and despicable."

"Oh, come on," Steve scoffs, cutting Danny off.

Unfazed by Steve's interruption, Danny continues, "But she also said that you were a fantastic character witness, so thank you very much." Danny clinks his Longboard to Steve's, wanting to do more than make a toast to his best friend. Once again, this gun loving, insane animal of a human had saved his life and it would take so much more than a ceremonial tapping of bottles to show his gratitude. He settles for giving Steve the warmest smile he can.

"You're welcome. I'll remind you of that later," Steve says smugly, offering his partner his patented smirk.

"I'm sure you will," Danny replies dryly before taking a long drink of his beer.

Governor Denning raises his bottle. "Well done, gentlemen."

"I can't believe I'm actually happy to be staying here," Danny confesses.

"Neither can I," Steve shoots back.

Governor Denning simply chuckles. 

Steve toasts 'to Hawaii' but he honestly would much rather skip the toast and kiss the hell out of his mouthy partner. He smirks when Danny stumbles over the toast, knowing exactly what Danny is thinking: pineapple-infested hellhole.

Danny can finally breathe easy knowing that his place in Hawaii is no longer in question and that Grace will not lose her father. A persistent voice in the back of his head corrects him, she won't lose her fathers. He squashes it by chugging his beer and watching the godforsaken water that he hates so much.

Steve watches his partner uncoil from all the stress of the custody hearing and their run in with Wo Fat. 

In that instant, Steve knows that he will do anything for Danny without question. He also knows that Danny will always be there with his ridiculous hand gestures, antagonistic mouth and questionable taste in music.

He doesn't know what to qualify their relationship as, not sure if he wants to, only that he needs Danny like he needs to breathe. On some level, he feels Danny thinking the same thing, lost in his own head, sound of the waves drowning out everything around him.

 

 


End file.
